darthbimmer

Your travel profile fits the IHG program well. 1) You like midscale properties. IHG does a great job with its HIX and SBS brands, delivering comfort and consistency in this segment. 2) You need the footprint in smaller cities. There's a HIX everywhere there's a Hampton or Fairfield, and then some. 3) You care more about free night rewards than in-stay benefits such as upgrades and lounge access. This aligns with what IHG Rewards does well (points bonuses that yield free stays faster) and minimizes its weakness (spotty elite benefits). This all makes a lot more sense to me than jumping ship to IHG from a program that focuses on higher end travelers, such as SPG.

jedicat666

IHG was my first love. Qualified to Platinum and when I heard about Spire, I immediately used the A-B-A-B bonus point per stay "exploit" for EQPs when staying at the 2 Manila Ortigas properties (HI + CP).

Received in access of 50k++ points in compensation (mostly from amb kit delays), 2 free incorrectly credited nights from the "Into-The-Night" fiasco, which I used at IC HKK $800 value. More than 15 nights free from Pointbreaks and redemptions. And my biggest upgrade was to the $2,000/night ambassador suite at the IC Sin. Not to mention over 300k points from Accelerate objectives.

After Racking up huge EQPs and qualifying for spire, there was just no value. ICs recognized Amb, and no additional benefits for spire, properties didnt know what spire was in the beginning, and its exactly the same as Plat. Being lied to in the face at 3 different properties on suite upgrade availability. Even now Spire remains a joke.

Thank god for Hilton Honors, of which I am diamond. Better recognition, better benefits, better upgrades and overall just better in general. Whatever fun I had as a Spire Ambassador in IHG I am now having 200% of that as a HHD.

It doesn't have as expensive properties as SPG so its definitely maintainable, portfolio is growing, and its systems are definitely superior to IHG (no cockups etc).
I plan to maintain HHD + IHG Amb for my ICs for the long term, but I definitely want to try GHA + SPG.

TLDR : IHG was fun, reaped alot of rewards, but Spire is a joke.
HHD is way better. Sufficient to be AMB for IHG.

Super Mario

Yup, made perfect sense for me. For me to stay at SBS in Orlando, in a suite, for free would have been a considerable investment at many other brands. It was relatively effortless. IHG also has solid credit card, especially with the free night voucher.

I must admit, I do wish IHG would up their upscale game. Intercontinentals work for me as well, but can be harder to find.

I'm sure if I ever travel exclusively to big cities in the future, my needs may change.